Washington, D.C. — In response to President Trump’s announcement that he will nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, the League of Conservation Voters released the following statement from President Gene Karpinski: 

“President Trump had the opportunity to nominate someone who would be fair-minded and maintain the balance of the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, Trump has nominated an individual whose record shows he will side with the wealthy and powerful over the public interest. Kavanaugh has consistently come down on the side of Big Polluters instead of protecting clean water and clean air for all. He’s ruled to put more mercury and toxic pollutants in our air, and to make it harder to address climate change. 

“We call on the Senate to reject this extreme nominee and ensure the next Justice will uphold our bedrock democratic institutions and environmental laws that protect our clean air, water, wildlife, lands, and health.  In the past 30 years, Justice Kennedy was in the majority on all but one of the environmental cases that have come before the high court. In fact, he was the deciding vote in a 5-4 decision finding that the Clean Air Act covers the pollution fueling climate change and his opinion in a landmark 2006 case paved the way for the EPA’s Clean Water Rule, which protects the drinking water of 1 in 3 people in this country. It is more important than ever to keep an anti-environmental extremist off of the high court. The stakes for our environment, climate and democracy have never been higher, and we and our more than two million members will work tirelessly to defeat Kavanaugh’s nomination.”

###